Instituto Cervantes Library in London

Archive for the ‘Rey- Florian’ Category

The same year he triumphed with his “La verbena de la Paloma” (1984), Tomás Bretón began to write the libretto and to compose the music for an opera based on a play by José Feliú y Codina which had been a big success back in 1893. Bretón made the impossible for it to open in theaters where the foreing operas would not be direct competition. The sucess of La Dolores (1895) was extraordinary: it was translated into italian and two different mute films versions of it were done in 1908 and 1923.
After the Civil War, and still with a freedom of movements similar to what he had enjoyed during the II Republic, Florián Rey shoot a new film version of La Dolores which was released on February 19th 1940. Having recently separated from Imperio Argentina, he cast the popular Conchita Piquer to play the protagonist. Her extraordinary dramatic performance of the “coplas” overshadowed her poor interpretation on the non sung scenes. The already well known Breton’s songs and the new songs added for the film favoured the popularity of the film, which was awarded Best Film by the Show-Business National Union.

Trini, a young and gracious gypsie girl, and her brother “Regalito” get hold of, through ingenuity and deceit, some hams from a warehouse, which they return and sell back to the original owner.

They are found out, arrested and put on trial. There they face Enrique, the intransigent prosecutor. But the good defence of their lawyer and the kindness and cleverness of Trini win the favour of the judge, and his pardon.

Once free, they casually go to a party organised by Doña Teresa, Enrique´s mother. They sing and dance and enjoy everything. Doña Teresa starts to bond with Trini, and, despite her son´s inicial rejection of the gypsies, the beautiful gypsie girl comes to live in thier house.

In a small town in Aragon live María del Pilar and Sebastián, lovers against the will of Eusebio, her father, who disapproves of Sebastián´s humble social status. Also getting in the way of the relationship is Marco, another young man in love with her, who is more fortunate in terms of land and money.

The two men confront each other to win the love of María del Pilar. Obsessed with what he couldn´t have, Marco sent word to the town that a man entered María´s house in the small hours of the morning, resulting in a song passing around that doubted the virtue of the young girl. In response, Sebastián, in order to stop the slander, used the same tricks to make it seem like the visits were the work of a burglar.

In a castillian village live labourer Juan Castilla (Pedro Larrañaga), his wife Acacia (Carmen Viance), their son, and blind Grandpa Martín (Victor Pastor). A confrontation between Juan and Lucas (Ramón Meca),the local chief, means the labourer is put in prison. Magdalena (Amelia Muñoz) convinces Acacia to abandon the impoverished village that appears to be cursed. Three years later, Juan finds his wife with another man in a tavern and makes her return home and keep up appearences until Grandpa Martín dies.